There is plenty of good economic news to report

February 28, 2010

The news media is constantly being accused of reporting only bad news. Those who hurl these accusations at us certainly haven't been reading the Morning Journal lately because we've had lots of good news to report on the local economic front.

First, we reported on Feb. 20 that local Save-A-Lot stores owner Henry Nemenz had decided to expand his plans for a grocery/shopping complex in Wellsville.

Nemenz had announced last July his plans for a $2 million expansion project that would include constructing a new grocery story while renovating the existing building to house a bar/restaurant, coffee shop, pharmacy, state liquor store and banquet hall with a deck overlooking the Ohio River.

On Feb. 20, a different preliminary plan was unveiled that increased the price tag to an estimated $2.5 million to $3 million for a strip plaza which would include a new store with an adjacent coffee shop/deli/restaurant, a state store, pharmacy and possibly a health clinic and a separate bank.

While it sounds like a very ambitious project, everything planned would definitely be an asset to Wellsville and provide many needed services, not to mention a potential for 75 to 100 new jobs. We hope this becomes a successful venture.

Then on Monday, Columbus McKinnon which owns Chester Hoist in Lisbon, announced plans to expand into Salem, creating 90 new jobs. The company will be spending $2 million to expand into the former Solartec facility on Pennsylvania Avenue in Salem.

Following closely on the heels of that announcement was GM Lordstown announcing on Tuesday 1,200 more jobs will be created when a third shift is added at the complex to manufacture the Chevy Cruze. While 1,200 people will not be hired for all of these positions, some will be filled by laid-off GM workers, this does mean that 1,200 previously unemployed people will now be working at good-paying jobs.

Things are definitely looking up for our area and we certainly deserve it. This area began suffering long before the current economic downturn began. Let's hope the economic growth continues and can be sustained long into the future.